| Activity Identification | Dimension | Number of Participants | Duration (minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Self-Assessment for exploration of interest – 6 Steps to identify future career paths | WORLD KNOWLEDGE | 8 - 12 | 60 |
The aim of the Activity
To strengthen the self-knowledge and the ability to reflect upon one’s own skills and interests each participant by making them focus and reflect upon their vocational and personal identity, interests and skills.
To discover, consider, or confirm suggestions for the pursuit of each participant’s professions or other future possibilities.
To get to know oneself and gain an idea of what to pursue. These are the key elements when developing one’s career path.
Preparation
Print handout 8 Career possibilities - 6 steps to identify future career paths, one for each participant.
Instructions
- Start the activity by asking the participants if they understand the concept of interest, and how they would define it.
- Introduce the activity to the participants by explaining the procedure for each of the six steps that are included in this activity.
- Start the exercise by handing out Step 1, for each participant to fill out.
- Step 1: The questionnaire may help the participants determine the profession they want to pursue, help them choose a job, unless they already have one, help them to reinforce their choices or point them in the direction of other possibilities.
- When Step 1 has been completed, hand out Step 2 and Step 3 with the following instructions:
- Step 2: Ask the participants to read and consider each statement. If the participant thinks that the statement is true for him or her, ask the participant to put an X in column 2, if it is relatively true put an X in column 1 or if it is not at all true put an X in column 0.
- Step 3: Take a look at the professions listed below. The participants must indicate to which level the job title interests them. 2 for most appealing, 1 may interest them, and 0 not interested or absolutely
- Step 4: Now the participants are ready to find out what their vocational personality profile is. Instruct them to use the coding system to identify their vocational personality profile.
- There is a total of six different vocational personality profiles (based on the categories) and each assigned a code. Participants can calculate their codes by adding up all numbers assigned in each category, from Step 2 and step 3. Each participant must now identify the three profile codes in which they score the highest. Be ready to assist the participants, should they find it difficult to score the results.
Example of a fill out activity:
Box 1
| TOOLS | IDEAS | ART | PEOPLE | BUSINESS | PAPERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Box 2
| TOOLS | IDEAS | ART | PEOPLE | BUSINESS | PAPERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 11 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
Add Box 1 (TOOLS) and Box 2 (TOOLS) and insert the sum of box 1 and 2 in Box 3 (TOOLS) and so on.
Box 3
| TOOLS | IDEAS | ART | PEOPLE | BUSINESS | PAPERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 23 | 31 | 9 | 12 | 3 |
- The higher the participants score in a given profile, the greater the likelihood that the participant is the holder of the personality and behavioural characteristics of the profile. This can help the participant in focusing on searching for contexts in which these personality types dominate. Moreover, the greater the proximity of the three profiles found, the greater degree of congruence in the personality of the individual, and consequently the greater probability of finding a work context that adequately satisfies their interests.
- Step 5: Once the profile of each participant has been identified, seek to explore and discuss the results and support the participants in the interpretation of these. Do the participants recognise the image that the exercise presents of their personal and vocational identities? How and in what way?
- Step 6: Sum up of the activity. This final step will help the participants reflect on what they have discovered about themselves and their occupational interests. Give the participants 10 minutes to reflect upon this and write down their main takeaways. End the session with a discussion in smaller groups or pairs about which links they see between their results in step 4 and their dreams in step 1. To thoroughly analyse the written dreams related to the future career (step 1), have the participants use the SMARTE goal to analyse the childhood career dreams, to complete the exercise.
Observations / Suggestions
Sometimes the participant does not identify with the personality described in the result of the profile, for which he or she received the highest score. This (the result) might surprise the participant. If this occurs, please inform and make it clear to participants that we as humans are not always aware of our interests and that this activity can help us raise awareness of these.
Source / Links / Further Information
The activity is based on the RIASEC Model, from Holland, J. L. (1992). Making vocational choices: a theory of vocational personalities and work environments. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Additional information
Interest refers to the preference that each of us develops over a certain thing, to the detriment of other things. Usually, interests are triggered from the moment the individual engages in performing certain types of tasks and activities. Its implementation has certain consequences, whether positive or negative. When these consequences are positive, they have the capacity to develop and reinforce in the individual the interest in carrying out those same activities. The greater the interest of the individual for a given activity, the greater his or her investment in its realization. This, in turn, favours the development of the underlying capacities in the activity. The more the individual perceives him/herself as competent in his or her achievements, the greater his or her level of interest in that domain of activity will be.